Envelope sealing machine



Sept. 24, 1935. s. ARNOLD Er AL 2,015,507

ENVELOPE SEALING MACHINE Filed March '7, 1935 3 sheets-sheet 1 24, 1935- s. ARNOLD EfAL 2,015,507

ENVELOPE SEALING MACHINE ,Y Filed March '7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Spt. 24, 1935. s. ARNOLD ET AL 2,015,507

ENVELOPE SEALI NG MACHINE Filed March 7, 1935 3 sheets-'sheet 3 Fge?.

Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNETED STATES ENVELOPE SEALING MACHINE Schuyler Arnold, Rochester, and Frederick lSta-Ist, Coldwater, N. Y.; said Statt assignor to said Arnold Application March 7, 1935,Serial-No. 9,814

20 Claims.

Our present invention relates to machines for gumming, folding and sealing envelopes and similar packages and it has for its object to provide a light simple and eflicient machine of this charf vacter that will operate at a considerable speed and upon envelopes of various sizes and thicknesses. The improvements are directed in part toward adjustable. features of the conveyor and guiding means to accommodate the different sized 1-0 packages; toward the gumming and folding means and adjustable features thereof with relation to the conveyor, and toward means for maintaining the envelopes or packets in proper alinement on the conveyor so that their iiaps will engage properly the gumming, folding and sealing means. l

To these and other ends, the invention resides lin certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of an envelope machine constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section through the gumming device and associated parts taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section, partly broken away, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section through the 35 sealing irons taken substantially on the linefB-S of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail elevation of part of the folding elements, as they also appear in Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a Idetail cross section on the. line 8 8 of Fig. 7;

Fig, 9 is an enlarged side elevation of a modifled form of conveyor element;

Fig. 10 is a. cross section, enlarged, taken substantially on the line IIl-IIJ of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a similar cross section through a further modified form of conveyor, and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary side View, similar to Fig. 9, of the last mentioned modication.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring first to the assembly views for a general idea of the arrangements and mode of operation of the machine, I indicates a bed along 55, which the envelopes are propelled with their flaps projecting laterally These rst'engagea gumming device, indicated generallyy at 2,"then a folding device, indicated generally at- 3,'l-that turns the gummed fiap under the envelope and finally a sealing and drying device in the form of *5 a pair of ironers, indicated generally at 4. The propelling element consists, in Figs. 1 to 5,-`of a pair of endless sprocket chains 5 and 6 provided with transverselyalined pairs 'of pins 1. It-may be mentioned at this point that this particular I10 embodiment of the invention has been designed for handling packets of seeds which are put up in the` familiar end flap envelopes. The seeds are of widely different character as to both-weight and sizel and as the quantity contained -in -dif- 15 ferent envelopes or packets is not uniform, the packets vary in thickness and bulk. The pins just described engage a longitudinal edge f the packets and, in connection with a guide'fwall 8, convey lthem positively along the bed so that they do not twist and destroy the alinment of the projecting flap with the various-instrumentalities with which they are designed to successively cooperate. Other `features of the machine addressed to the problem of coping with these irregul-arities inthe article treated will later appear.

The conveyor chains 5 and B travel on sprockets 9 and I Il, respectively. The sprockets are xed to shafts II and I2 having bearings in `extensions lat opposite ends of the general frame structure I3 of the machine. The sprockets I0 are splined to theseshafts lin grooves I4 to slide adjustably longitudinally thereof -While `locked to turnl therewith. Shaft I2 is a driving shaft operated through belt I5 froma motor I6. Chain 5 travels in a fixed guide I1 in the frame, 'while chain 6 travels in a` parazllelguide I8 (Fig. 5) movable toward and from the same. With'guide I 8is associated the guide wall 8 forthe envelopes previously referred to and bo-th are mounted on a carriage I9. Threaded intolv this carriage arev two lead screws ZIJ and ZI 'having fixed bearings in thelframe and whereby the aforesaid adjusting movements of the carriage are effected. Screw- 20 is provided with a`hand 45 crank 22 and, through gearing 123 and 24 anda shaft 25, the two screws are turned inunison. .When this is done, the sprockets I0"Will 'adjust themselves correspondingly to theposition of the guide la. The bed is preferablym the form of a-suitably faced wooden board, as shown, that may be lifted o-ut during these adjustments and replaced by a board of greater or less Width to exactly fill the space between' the conveyor chain guides II'and I8. Several boards are pro-y vided to correspond with the different standard sizes of envelopes.

A carriage 53 adjustable on the main frame I3 carries the gumming and folding units 2 and 3. It also carries a bracket 26 supporting a rest 21 for the envelope flap as it is gummed and folded. Adjacent to and fixed with respect to the guide I1 for the constant chain element 5 of the conveyor and between it and the rest 21 is a track 28 on which the envelope slides at its open end in the region of the base or connecting portion of the flap, it being understood that the envelope is laid on the conveyor with the flap continuous with its own top wall, so that the mouth is underneath and the flap is to be turned downwardly, inwardly and upwardly in sealing. Cooperating with this track 28 is an additional propelling and holding element for the envelopes in the form (in Figs. l to 8) of an endless rubber belt or strap 2Q. This is mounted on. a sheave carried by a bracket 3! at the initial end ofthe path of trav-el and by a sheave 32 on a bracket arm 33 at the other end, which arm is an extension of the bearing bracket for shaft l2. The arm forms a bearing for a stud shaft 34 to which is also'fixed a gear 35 meshing Vwith a gear 36 on driving shaft l2, by means of which the sheave and belt propeller 2B are driven.

The lower reach of the belt propeller is backed up and held in a definite path by a guide bar 31 mounted in a manner that will be hereinafter described. Thus, the envelope near its mouth is gripped between this moving yielding element and track 23 to perform two functions: In connection with the guide 6 for the opposite clo-se-d end of the envelope it holds the stuffed packets squarely against the companion pins 1 on the conveyor and it temporarily seals the envelope against escape of the contents.

Thus supported and conveyed, the envelope passes first to the gumming element 2 which consists essentially (Fig. 3) of a feeding and pasting drum 38 having a ribbed periphery 39 that travels substantially tangentially of the envelope carrying plane defined by the elements 6, 28, 21 and applies corresponding bands of glue transversely of the tip of the projecting envelope flap on the underside. The top side is correspondingly engaged by the ribbed periphery 56 of a presser roll on a stud shaft d l, the ribs thereof alternating with those on the feed drum, so that contact is assured. The drum 38 has a shaft 42 journaled in a glue box 43 and the stud 4l is carried by a bracket 44 vertically adjustable on the box through a supporting stem 45. A doctor blade 46 having adjusting devices 41 cooperates with the feed drum 33 in the usual manner.

Because the glue box has a relatively slidingA support, as hereinafter described, the shaft 42 is preferably in open journals thereon and is suitably coupled at its inner end to a jack shaft 58 carried by the main frame and which, through a sprocket and chain connection 63, is driven from shaft Il. The said support consists of a carriage 56 having ways 5l in which the glue box slides toward and from the envelope conveying path in connection with an angle bracket 52 xed on the carriage and slotted at 53 to take a threaded post 56 fixed to the box and provided with a winged clamping nut 55. The carriage is provided with a suitable contained electric heating device 56 beneath the ways 5l to keep the glue warm and prevent it from congealing.

The foregoing mobility of the glue box provides for a fine adjustment of the gumming unit "the same function there.

alone. It is also bodily movable with the carriage 56 through the medium of lead screw 51 threaded in the frame I3 and having a thrust bearing 58 in the carriage with an operating crank 59 at the `opposite side of the machine. As 5 the flap folding unit 3 must be correspondingly adjusted to adapt it to the same differences in size and shape of the envelope flap, this unit is mounted on a lateral extension of the carriage projecting from the ways adjacent to the screw 51, indicated at 63 (see Figs. 2 and 3) and consists of a plow-point element 6I (Figs. 5 and '1 for initially turning the flap downwardly and a relatively reversed plow-point element 62 (see also Fig. 8) for turning it upwardly again. The former is vertically adjustable by means of set screws 63 and 6A upon a post 65 on the carriage 56 and has a portion including an extension 66 overhanging the iiap rest 21 to prevent the flap from rising therefrom, the said extension 66 extending to the region of the element 62 to perform The element 62 is similarly mounted on a post 61 on the carriage 55 to be adjusted up and down by means of a set screw 68 beneath the extension 66. In this 25 Way, both folding elements may be positioned properly with respect to the rest 21 with which they constitute, in effect, a slot through which the fiaps are conducted and all are adjustable bodily with the carriage toward and from the track 28.

After passing through the folding device, the closed flap and outer end of the envelope runs through a sealing and drying device to cause the adhesive to take immediate hold. This consists. 35 in the present instance, of a lower iron 69 and an upper iron 16. The lower one is mounted upon a bracket 1l on the main frame and is provided with a suitable electrical heating unit 12. The upper one is adjustable toward and from its mate by means of a pair of thumb screws 13 through which the iron is supported from overhanging bracket extensions 1H. These same extensions carry other thumb screws 15, by means of which the guide or backing 31 for the belt 26 is supported 45 and rendered adjustable to make a more or less intimate contact of the belt with the track 28, before described.

With the packets thus held during transit by the pins 1, guide wall 8 and pressing and impelling 50v belt 29, it is still sometimes desirable, in view of the different thicknesses and weights of seed packages particularly, to provide a retarding device that will engage them bodily and exert a slight frictional resistance that will tend to hold them square `against the pins. In the present instance, we provide such an instrumentality in the form of a suitably faced board 16. This is pivotally connected at 11 to the lower end of a link 18, the upper end of which rocks on an arm 19 slidably adjustable as to height through a thumb screw 86 on a post 8l rising from the chain guide carrying element I9. This board rides on the packets more or less lightly according to the elevation of the arm 19 and performs the function stated.

In Figs. 9 to 12, I have illustrated modified constructions of the closing or clamping and propelling couple represented by the track 28 and belt 26. In both of these forms, instead of the fixed track 28 of the first embodiment, the track is movable also, being constituted by the upper reach of a chain conveyor 28a running over sprockets 28h and 26c in unison with an upper propelling chain 31a so that the packet is gripped 75":

on both sides instead of being gripped on one side and sliding on the other'. The upper chain passes over sprockets 32a and alternate links carry soft rubber blocks 29a suitably secured thereto in the embodiment of Figs. 9 and 10 instead of the continuous surface of belt Z. The lower track chain 28a is provided with similar gripping blocks, as indicated, which cooperate respectively with units on the upper chain. This constitutes a positive feed in itself, through the use of which the main conveyor 5 5 may be made less elaborate or eliminated altogether.

In the further modication of Figs. l1 and 12, chains 31a and 28a are faced with continuous r` strips of rubber 2gb instead of the spaced or intermittent blocks similar to the rubber belt 29 of the first form. In this case, such strips, which are fastened to the chain suitably as by the bolts 82, take the place of the belt 2S, while in both the modifications the chain 3la functions as does the guide 3l, in that the weight of the chain may be such as to hold the rubber contacts down against the packets with suihcient pressure to obtain the necessary grip.

We claim as out invention:

1. In a sealing machine of the character described, the combination with a frame, of a pair of parallel conveyors for jointly carrying envelopes along a given path, gumming and folding devices for the envelope flaps arranged adjacent to a constant unit of the pair, and means for adjusting the other unit toward and from the constant unit.

2. In a sealing machine of the character described, the combination with a frame, of a pair "'y of parallel conveyors for jointly carrying envelopes along a given path, gumming and folding devices for the envelope flaps arranged adjacent to a constant unit of the pair, a guide wall for the envelopes xed with respect to the other unit,

" and means for adjusting the latter and the guide wall toward and from the constant unit.

3. In a sealing machine of the character described, the combination with a frame, of a pair of parallel conveyors for jointly carrying envelopes along a given path, gumming and folding devices for the envelope flaps arranged adjacent to a constant unit of the pair, means for adjusting the other unit toward and from the constant unit, and a plurality of interchangeable bed plates of different widths fitting between the conveyors.

4, In a sealing machine of the character described, the combination with a frame, of a pair of parallel conveyors for jointly carrying envelopes along a given path, gumming and folding devices for the envelope aps arranged adjacent to a constant unit of the pair, means for adjusting the other unit toward and from the constant unit on one side thereof, a carrier for the gumming device, and means for adjusting the carrier to move the latter transversely toward and from the constant unit on the other side thereof.

5. In a sealing machine of the character described, the combination with a frame, of a pair of parallel conveyors for jointly carrying envelopes along a given path, gumming and folding devices for the envelope flaps arranged adjacent to a constant unit of the pair, means for adjusting the other unit toward and from the constant unit on one side thereof, a carrier for the folding device, and means for adjusting the carrier to move the latter transversely toward and from the constant unit on the other side thereof.

6. In a sealing machine of the charac-ter described, the combination with a frame, of a pair of parallel conveyors for jointly carrying envelopes along `a given path, gumming and folding devices for the envelope flaps arranged adjacent to a constant unit of the pair, means for adjusting the other' unit toward and from the constant unit on one side thereof, a common carrier =5 for the gumrning and folding devices, and means for adjusting the carrier to move the latter transversely toward and from the constant unit on the other side thereof.

'7. In a sealing machine of the character de- 10- scribed, the combination with a frame, of a pair of parallel endless conveyor chains' for jointly carrying envelop-es along a given path, means on said chains for engaging and advancing the envelopes therewith, a pair of shafts provided 15 with sprockets for the chains including a driving shaft, one pair of sprockets being longitudinally adjustable on the shafts toward and from the other, and a chain guide forI the chain on the adjustable sprockets movable toward and 20 from the other chain. l

8. In a sealing machine of the character descrioed, the combination with a frame, of a pair of parallel endless conveyor chains for jointly carrying envelopes along a given path, means on 25"v said chains for engaging advancing the envelopes therewith, a pair of shafts provided with sprockets for the chains including a driving shaft, one pair of sprockets being longitudinally adjustable on the shafts toward and from the other', 30e a chain guide for the chain on the adjustable sprockets having a guide wall for envelopes associated therewith, and means for adjusting the chain guide and guide wall toward and from the other chain.

9. In a sealing machine of the character described, the combination with a frame, of a pair of parallel conveyors for 1ointly carrying envelopes along a given path, gumming and folding devices for the envelope flaps arranged adjacent 40 to one: of the conveyors and a yielding frictional retarding device arranged between the conveyors to trail upon envelopes carried thereby.

1). In a sealing machine of the character described, the combination with a frame, means for 45 conveying envelopes successively along a given path thereon, a guide for the closed end of the envelope associated with said means at one side, gumming and folding devices adjacent to the other side into cooperation with which the flap 50 of the envelope is adapted to project, of a track arranged between the gumrning and folding de vices and the conveyor means on which the portion of the envelope at the base of the flap is adapted to travel, and a yielding traveling fric- 55 tional element superposed upon the track to engage the top of the last mentioned portion of the envelope and hold it against twisting.

l1. A sealing machine constructed in accordance with claim 10 further characterized by the 60 fac-t that sheaves are provided at the ends of the path of travel and the traveling frictional element consists of a rubber belt passing on said sheaves.

l2. A sealing machine 4constructed in accord- 65 ance with claim 10 further characterized by the fact that the 'track is in the form of an endless traveling member.

13. A sealing machine constructed in accordance with claim 10 further characterized by the 70 I fact that the track is composed of an endless traveling member and the cooperating surfaces of it and the frictional element are composed of spaced rubber blocks mounted thereon.

14. A sealing machine constructed in accord- 75 ance with claim 10 further characterized by the fact that the traveling frictional element consists of a rubber belt and there is provided in combination a xed groove track above the first mentioned track that backs up and guides the belt.

15. In a sealing machine of the character described, the combination with a frame and means for conveying envelopes successively along a given path thereon, of gumming and folding devices at one side of said path into which the envelope ap is adapted to project, the folding device ernbodying a bracket having a xed rest for the underside of the flap, a pair of posts on the bracket, a plow-point folder overhanging and adjustable relatively to the rest on one post to turn the flap downwardly, and a. plow point folder adjustable on the other post and beneath the overhang of the rst folder to turn the flap up- .i wardly.

16. In a sealing machine, the combination with a bed along which envelopes may travel and a narrow track at one side thereof, of gumming and sealing devices adjacent to the track into .which the flaps of the envelopes may project,

and a yielding traveling frictional propelling device cooperating with the track to temporarily seal the mouth of the envelope during the gumming and folding operations.

17. In a sealing machine, the combination with a bed along which envelopes may travel and a narrow track at one side thereof, of gumming and sealing devices adjacent to the track into which the flaps of the envelopes may project, and a yielding traveling frictional propelling device cooperating with the track to temporarily seal the mouth of the envelope during the gumming and folding operations, said propelling device consisting of an endless belt having a rubber facing.

18. In a sealing machine, the combination with a bed along which envelopes may travel and a narrow track at one side thereof, of gumming and sealing devices adjacent to the track into which the iiaps of the envelopes may project, a yielding traveling frictional propelling device cooperating with the track to temporarily seal the mouth of "5 the envelope during the gumming and folding operations, and a rest for the underside of the flap between the gumming and sealing devices and the track.

19. In a sealing machine, the combination With a bed along which envelopesmay travel and a narrow track at one side thereof, of gumming and sealing devices adjacent to the track into which the flaps of the envelopes may project, a yielding traveling frictional propelling device cooperating with the track to temporarily seal the mouth of the envelope during the gumming and folding operations, a rest for the underside of the flap between the gumming and sealing devices and the track, and a carriage movable toward and from the track upon which the gumming and sealing devices and the rest are collectively mounted.

20. In a sealing machine, the combination with a bed along which envelopes may travel, a guide wall for the bases of the envelopes at one side of the bed and adjustable toward and from the latter, and a narrow track at the other side of the bed, of gumming and sealing devices adjacent to the track into which the flaps of the envelopes may 3()-V`^ project, a yielding traveling frictional propelling device cooperating with the track to temporarily seal the mouth of the envelope during the gumming and folding operations, a rest for the underside of the flap between the gumming and sealing i devices and the track, and a carriage movable toward and from the track upon which the gumming and sealing devices and the rest are collectively mounted.

SCI-IUYLER ARNOLD. FREDERICK STATT. 

